Amazing world of Microbes: Some Unbelievable facts about Microorganisms3.65/5 (17)

Microorganisms are those living creature which can not be viewed by unaided eye, i.e. you need microscope to view them. But there are some microorganisms that can be seen without microscope too. So in this blog post, i am presenting some of the unique and unbelievable facts about microorganisms which i have collected from various authentic sources.

Bacteria can be found virtually everywhere, from volcanic springs to arctic regions. The human mouth is home to more than 500 species of bacteria. Each square centimeter of your skin averages about 100,000 bacteria.

Deinococcus radiodurans:withstand blasts of radiation 1,000 times greater than would kill a human being.

The largest bacteria found so far can actually be seen without the use of a microscope (Thiomargarita namibiensis and Epulopiscium fischelsoni). Thiomargarita namibiensis <thigh-oh-mar-ger-ee-tuh nah-mih-bee-en-sis>, which means “sulfur pearl of Namibia” is a single celled giant bacteria that lives in the ocean.

Beef tapeworm is the largest parasite (which causes taeniasis in human), which can easily grow 7½ meters or 25 feet long! Imagine that living in your guts!

Taenia saginata (Beef tapeworm): CDC

The smallest known bacteria are so tiny that they were once thought to be viruses (Mycoplasmas).

Oldest living Microbes: 250 million-year-old bacteria spores have been revived. In 2000, scientists told that they had revived bacteria that had lain in suspended animation for 250 million years, encased in salt crystals deep in the Earth.

In 1918 more people died from the influenza virus (approximately 30 million) than died in the First World War (10 million).

Microbes generate at least half the oxygen we breathe.

If a single bacterium 10 to power minus 12 gram with a generation time of 20 min would, if it continued to grow exponentially for 48 hour, produce a population that weighed about 4000 times the weight of the earth.

Sources: Agencies

Note: If you know other more interesting and unbelievable facts about microorganisms please do share in the comment box below.

Bacteria can be found virtually everywhere, from volcanic springs to arctic regions. The human mouth is home to more than 500 species of bacteria. Each square centimeter of your skin averages about 100,000 bacteria.